1
as in equilibrium
a condition in which opposing forces are equal to one another
there must be a poise between the rights of the individual and the rights of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in posture
a general way of holding the body
the woman's poise suggested that she was accustomed to having her wishes carried out promptly and without question
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
the falcon poised in the air for an instant before diving to attack its prey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poise
Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 10 May 2026
Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Most prominently, Big Mama was poised as a retirement album because Latto is a new mom with more than enough means to give her first daughter an extraordinary life.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poise
Noun
While his numbers were lower than those of McKenna and Malhotra, his poise and ability to produce in a professional league opened eyes.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 10 May 2026
Verb
The Hollywood Reporter recently informally surveyed agents, managers and executives to name who from that world is poised for a breakout, and Phillips was among those names.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Most prominently, Big Mama was poised as a retirement album because Latto is a new mom with more than enough means to give her first daughter an extraordinary life.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poise
Noun
-
Mary disrupts Clark’s equilibrium with the Backrooms by refusing to validate his excuses for his behavior, fully calling out his failings, his petty assholery, and his glib, solipsistic lies.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
That equilibrium was sustained not by the courts or the Voting Rights Act but by behavior.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
As Melissa Leber, MD, FACEP, associate professor of orthopedics and emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, describes it, the Japanese towel roll method is a posture and body alignment exercise.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
31 May 2026
-
Japan has recently taken steps to expand its defense posture, including lifting its ban on lethal arms exports and mulling changes to Article 9 of its constitution, which renounces war and the maintenance of armed forces.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
England are braced for potential disruption to their two warm-up friendlies in Florida, against New Zealand in Tampa on Saturday, and Costa Rica in Orlando on June 10.—
Dan Kilpatrick,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Chip stocks, however, stumbled; bitcoin is hovering at its weakest since the war began, private credit is throwing off sparks again — and a flesh-eating parasite has turned up in Texas.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
The first experiment featured an artificial flower placed above a pit in the floor so that there was insufficient space for a bee to hover to reach the flower.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Though some denominations have stricter stances on AI, none are monolithic in their approaches.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Finished with a more confident, upright stance and a noticeably more rugged appearance, the 2026 Outback finally looks as adventurous as its reputation has long suggested.—
Tim Jackson,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Cereals are usually fortified with B vitamins, folic acid, and iron.—
Jennifer Lefton,
Verywell Health,
1 June 2026
-
Unknown to the Americans, and unspotted by their air reconnaissance, Peleliu is full of deep underground cave networks, which the Japanese had fortified and stocked with food, water and ammunition.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Two are modern A-frames with full-height windows that frame the bay, clawfoot tubs, and pellet stoves; one is a converted 1970s bus with a floating A-frame loft above.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
31 May 2026
-
Based in New Orleans and Paris, Eloueini Architecture is celebrated for designing houses that fold, twist, stagger and float with a restless energy that belies the simplicity of their forms.—
Fred Albert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Although service is not quite polished, the happy-go-lucky Dutch-Caribbean staff are refreshingly devoid of attitude.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The show has always affected a devil-may-care attitude, but in previous seasons, less-wearying — not to say light or uplifting — moments came up as a result of the chemistry between the young ensemble.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poise. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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